DISEASES OF WILD DUCKS 131 



"It may be interesting to you to have the results of two 

 earlier investigations into the cause of death of the Salt 

 Lake City ducks. Two, received about Sept. 20, in such 

 a stage of decomposition that bacteriologic examination 

 was not feasible, gave marked evidences of inflammation 

 of the intestines and revealed in the intestinal contents 

 upon microscopic examination a large number cocci- 

 dial forms. In the case of two ducks received Oct. 5 from 

 Dr. F. E. Murray, inspector in charge at Salt Lake City, 

 the tissues had been so acted upon by the alcohol in which 

 they were shipped that all bacteriologic showings were 

 negative. These two birds were quite different from the 

 others, being extremely emaciated, and the alimentary 

 tract being absolutely devoid of contents from mouth to 

 vent. No coccidial forms were recognized in one of the 

 ducks, whereas in the other, which showed a marked en- 

 teritis, were found what were diagnosed as schizont forms 

 of the coccidium." 



A writer for Pearson's Weekly says : "Wild ducklings 

 are much easier to rear than pheasants, being free from 

 the majority of pheasant ailments. In fact, when they 

 are a week or so old, they are able to do without the 

 warmth of their fostermothers. They must, however, be 

 protected from keen winds and hot sun. Without shade, 

 the little ducks are liable to die wholesale from sunstroke. 

 Some people call sunstroke 'straddles/ regarding it as a 

 mysterious disease of unknown origin, and assume that 

 to rear ducklings after May is to invite disaster. Pro- 

 vided with compulsory shade, ducklings will thrive all 

 through the summer. ... A bag of one thousand ducks 

 is not rare nowadays. For three days in succession an 

 average bag of over fifteen hundred has been obtained 



